Table for vehicles



March 2, 1948.

W. M. KELLER TABLE FOR VEHICLES Filed March 9, 1946 V2 shets-sneet 1INVENTOR- WwW/MI. Kei/e1',

' ATTORNEYS.

Mmh '2, 194s. w. M. KELLER 2,437,162

TABLE FOR VEHICLES `Filed March .9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 t INVENTOR-AM//Ia/izLKe//ezg W I TNESSES AH'ORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 2, 1948 TABLE FOR VEHICLES William M. Keller, Merian, Pa.,assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application March 9, 1946, Serial No.653,246

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-18) This invention relates to a table for vehiclesand is especially useful as applied to a portable table for use inrailway cars, particularly dining cars, though it has obviousapplication to any vehicle or the like which is subject to vibration orshock.

'I'he object of the invention is to provide for use in such a vehicle atable having a top surface which is substantially isolated from thevehicle or the compartment thereof within which the table is located,and which is so cushioned as to minimize the transmission of vibrationfrom -the floor and walls of the vehicle or compartment to the utensilsor other objects which may rest.

upon the table. It is well known, for example,

that in the customary railway dining car the tables are so attached tothe side walls and supported upon the floor that the vibrations of thecar are imparted to the objects on the tables with resulting annoyanceand inconvenience to the waiters and passengers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table of thischaracter so designed that it is interchangeable with'the conventionalform of table now used in railway cars and is relatively simple andinexpensive to manufacture.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will becomemore apparent from the detailed description :of one embodiment there of,designed for use in a railway dining, car, which follows hereinafterhaving reference to the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a tabl-e embodying my invention and applied to theside Wall of a dining car with a portion of the table cut away toillustrate details of construction;

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged side elevation of portions of the tableand car wall with a part of the table frame cut away to illustratedetails of construction; and

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent vertical cross sec-A tions of the sametaken as indicated by the arrows III-III, IV-IV, V-V, and VI-VIrespectively in'Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, the illustrated form of the inventioncomprises a table top I and a rigid frame 2 with cushioning elements 3,4 of sponge rubber or like material interposed between and secured tothe table top I and frame 2.

In a manner similar to the conventional dining car table the frame 2 isprovided at the sidev which is adjacent to the side wall l of the carwith a pair of outwardly projecting brackets 5, adapted Ifor insertionin sockets 6 in the side wall 1. As most clearly shown in Flgsl and 3,the

.brackets 5 have slots 8 which are adapted to be engaged by downwardlyprojecting. lugs 9 in the wall sockets 6 to secure the table to the wallIv while permitting it to be readily detached when not in use. Thebrackets 5 are secured to the frame 2 by means of rivets I0. At theopposite side of the table, adjacent to the center aisle of the car, theframe 2, as shown in Figs. l2 and 4, has a pair of hinge fittingsII'securedthereto by rivets I2, each fitting having an aperture I3 forreception of a hinge pin I 4 by means of which the table legs I5, whichare of conventional form and construction, are hinged to the frame 2.When not used to give elevated support to the inner end of the tableubon the car floor F the legs I5 may be swung upwardly toward theundersiderof the frame yi to collapse the table in the customary manner.The legs I5 are prevented from swinging in the opposite direction byvirtue of their engagement with the horizontal edges 2U of the hingettings I I.

The frame 2 is desirably skeletonized and consists of four angle barsjoined and reinforced by triangular gussets I'I, there being a gusset ateach corner, and the gussets being welded, as indicated at I8, to theedges of the inturned horizontal flanges I9 of the frame 2. vAt the sideof the table adjacent to the wall the downturned flange 2| of the frame2 is slotted at 22 to accommodateA the brackets 5 which pass through theframe and are riveted to the underside of its horizontal flange I9. Atthe opposite side of the table. and at the locations where the hingefittings II are applied, afiller 24 is disposed between the hingefittings I I and the horizontal flange I 9 of the frame 2 to give theproper spacing to level the frame when legs I5 of standard length arehinged to the fittings II. Y

As shown in Fig. 1 and Figs. 3 to 6, the table top I is in theillustrated example of the invention made of plywood and has ahardwoodborder 25 to which rubber bumpers 2B are attached at the twosides which run transversely of the car. Attached to the underside ofthe table top I are illler pieces 21, there being two such pieces ateach side which is transverse to the car and one at leach of the othertwo sides of the table disposed at the center thereof. Each ller piece21 has a plate 28, secured thereto by screws 29, forming a bracket whichextends horizontally and outwardly beyond the edges of the ller piece insich manner that a channel is defined, as clearly seen :in Figs. 5 and6, by the underside of the table top I, the ller piece 21 and the plate28 for receiving the cushion comprising the 3 sponge rubber elements 3and 4. Furthermore, the lier piece 21 is so disposed inwardly from theedge of the table top I and cut-away, as indicated at 3|, that it isspaced from and at all times out of contact with the horizontal ange I9of the frame 2.

Desirably the upper cushioning elements 3 which carry the weight of thetable top I are in the form or relatively long strips cemented to theunderside of the table top I and to the top of the horizontal ange I9 ofthe frame 2 whereas the lower cushioning elements 4'are in the form ofrelatively short strips cemented to the underside of the horizontal angeI9 and to the top of the plates 28. The horizontal flange I9 of theframe 2 is thus embedded within a cushion formed by the sponge rubberelements 3 and 4, and while rrnly secured to the cushion it does nothave any point ofcontact with the table top I or the rigid attachmentssuspended beneath the same. It will further be observed that the tabletop I overhangs the frame 2 at all of the sides except the side which isadjacent to the wall 1 of the car so that persons using the table do notordinarily have any contact with the frame.

The special method of attaching the `cushioning strips 3 and 4 withinthe channels formed at each of the foursides of the table and ofinserting the horizontal flange I9 of the frame 2 between the upper andlower cushioning strips 3, 4 isolates the table top I from the frame 2so that in eiiect it floats upon the cushioning elements. Suflicientsurface areas are provided for securely cementing the cushioningelements 3 and 4 to the table top I and frame 2, but the volume andweight of all materials entering into the construction of the table isreduced to a minimum which the table may be put, all without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined inthe annexedclaims.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A table for vehicles comprising a. skeleton rectangular framecomposed of angle bars having inwardly projecting flanges, and havingmeans at one side for attachment to a wall of the vehicle, and means atthe opposite side for supporting the frame in elevated position abovethe oor of the vehicle, a table top resiliently mounted within the openarea defined by said angle bars and having brackets suspended from thetable top and forming with the bottom surface thereof channels openingoutwardly to accommodate said inwardly projecting flanges o the frame,and cushioning elements of sponge rubber or like material interposedbetween and secured to the flanges of the frame, the table top and thebrackets therebeneath, said frame being otherwise wholly isolated :fromthe table top.

2. The table deiined in claim 1 wherein the cushioning elements consistof relatively long strips secured to the underside of the table top andthe flanges within said channels and relatively short strips secured tothe brackets and the flanges within said channels.

WILLIAM M. KELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

,y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 440,969 Smith Nov. 18, 1890597,537 Campbell Jan. 18, 1898 830,187 Spencer Sept. 4, 1906` 1,697,094Tork Jan. 1, 1921 1,732,520 Leatherman Oct. 22, 1929 1,788,878 Lee Sept.16, 1927 1,975,909 Trott Oct. 9, 1934 2,031,287 Swanson Feb. 18, 19362,188,897 Hall Feb. 6, 1940 2,328,614 Busse Sept. 7, 1943 2,404,403Poylo Feb. 13, 1943

